| 1 Joash was seven years old when he began his reign. | |
| 1 In the twenty-third year of Joash, son of Ahaziah, king of Judah, Jehoahaz, son of Jehu, began to rule over Israel from Samaria, its capital; he reigned for seventeen years. | |
| 2 It was then the seventh year of Jehu, and he reigned for forty-two years in Jerusalem. His mother was Zibiah of Beer-sheba. | |
| 2 He acted badly towards Yahweh and persisted in the sins of Jeroboam, son of Nebat, which had become the sins of Israel, without turning away from them. | |
| 3 Joash did what was right in the eyes of Yahweh as long as the priest Jehoiada guided him. | |
| 3 So the anger of Yahweh burned against Israel, and he delivered them into the hands of Hazael, king of Aram, and into the hands of Ben-hadad, son of Hazael, throughout that time. | |
| 4 But he did not demolish the sanctuaries on the hillsides where people continued offering sacrifices and burning incense. | |
| 4 But Jehoahaz prayed to Yahweh, and Yahweh listened to him for he had seen the oppression of Israel, how the king of Aram oppressed them. | |
| 5 Joash said to the priest, “All the money from the sacred contributions which the people bring to offer in the House of Yahweh, the money in cash, that which is offered as personal assessment, and that which is freely and voluntarily given in the House of Yahweh – | |
| 5 And Yahweh gave Israel a liberator who would free them from the oppression of Aram, so the Israelites could live peacefully in their homes as before. | |
| 6 all these you can receive. Let each one receive from the hand of those to whom he attends, but you are to repair the House of Yahweh, when anything needs to be repaired.” | |
| 6 (But they did not turn away from the sins by which Jeroboam made Israel sin, for the sacred pillar still remained standing in Samaria.) | |
| 7 By the twenty-third year of the reign of Joash, the priests had not yet carried out the repairs needed in the House of Yahweh. | |
| 7 No more than fifty horsemen, ten chariots of war and ten thousand soldiers were left of the army of Jehoahaz, for the king of Aram had wiped out all the rest like dust. | |
| 8 So the king summoned Jehoiada the priest and the other priests with him, and said to them, “Why have you not carried out the repairs of the House yet? From now on, you will no longer keep any money during your service, but shall set it aside for the repair of the House.” | |
| 8 The rest about Jehoahaz, all that he did and his bravery are written in the Book of the Chronicles of the Kings of Israel. | |
| 9 The priests agreed that henceforth, they would not accept money from the people and would not be in charge of the repair of the House. | |
| 9 When Jehoahaz slept with his fathers, they buried him in Samaria and his son Joash reigned in his place. | |
| 10 So Jehoiada, the priest, had a box made with a hole in the cover. He placed this by the altar, to the right side of those entering the House of Yahweh, and the priests who were at the gates put in it all the money offered in the House of Yahweh. | |
| 10 In the thirty-seventh year of Joash, king of Judah, Joash, son of Jehoahaz, began to reign over Israel in Samaria, its capital; he reigned for sixteen years. | |
| 11 Whenever they saw that the box was full, a secretary of the king would come, and together with the high priest, they would take and count the money. | |
| 11 He did what was evil in the eyes of Yahweh; he did not turn away from the sins which Jeroboam, son of Nebat, made Israel commit. | |
| 12 Then they would turn the amount over into the hands of those responsible for the work of the House, who would, in turn, pay with this money the carpenters and bricklayers doing the repairs. | |
| 12 The rest about Joash and all that he did, his bravery and how he fought against Amaziah, king of Judah are written in the Book of the Chronicles of the Kings of Israel. | |
| 13 From this amount, they also bought the stones, wood and everything necessary for the repair of the House of Yahweh. | |
| 13 When Joash slept with his fathers, he was buried in Samaria, together with the kings of Israel, and Jeroboam sat upon his throne. | |
| 14 But of this money given for the House of Yahweh, they did not make any silver cups, or cutting tools, or water jars, or trumpets, or any golden or silver objects, | |
| 14 When Elisha became very sick and was about to die, Joash, king of Israel, went down to him and went before him, saying, “My father! My father! Chariot and horses of Israel!” | |
| 15 but all the money was used to pay those who were repairing the House of Yahweh. | |
| 15 Elisha said to him, “Take a bow and arrows.” So he took a bow and arrows. | |
| 16 Accounts were not asked from those responsible for paying the laborers, since they acted with great honor. | |
| 16 Elisha then said to the king, “Draw the bow,” and the king drew the bow. Then Elisha put his hand on the king’s hand | |
| 17 Only the money offered for the expiation of sins was for the priests. | |
| 17 and said, “Open the window towards the east.” He opened it. Elisha then said, “Shoot!” And he shot. Elisha said, “Yahweh’s arrow of victory, arrow of victory over Aram! You shall defeat Aram in Aphek until you utterly destroy them!” | |
| 18 At that time Hazael, king of Aram, went up to fight against Gath. He captured it and was heading for Jerusalem. | |
| 18 And he added, “Take the arrows.” And he took them. Elisha said to the king, “Strike the ground with them.” He struck three times and stopped. | |
| 19 So Joash, king of Judah, took all the precious things that his fathers, Jehoshaphat, Jehoram and Ahaziah, kings of Judah, had consecrated, with all that he himself had consecrated, and all the gold he could find in the treasury of the House of Yahweh and in those of the king’s house. Then he sent them to Hazael, king of Aram, who left Jerusalem with them. | |
| 19 So the man of God became angry at him, and said, “You should have struck five or six times, then you would have struck down Aram completely. But now, you will strike down Aram only three times.” | |
| 20 Now the rest regarding Joash and all that he did is written in the Book of the Chronicles of the Kings of Judah. | |
| 20 Elisha died and they buried him. A little later, a detachment of Moabites conducted a raid as they used to do at the beginning of every year. | |
| 21 Some of his officials plotted a conspiracy against him, and they killed him in Beth-Millo, as he was going to Silla. | |
| 21 It happened that at that time some people were burying a dead man, when they saw the Moabites. So they quickly threw the body into the grave of Elisha, and then fled to safety. But as soon as the man’s body touched the bones of Elisha, the man revived and stood on his feet. | |
| 22 Jozacar, son of Shimeath, and Jehozabad, son of Shomer, struck him down, and he died. He was buried with his fathers in the city of David, and his son Amaziah reigned in his place. | |
| 22 Hazael, king of Aram, oppressed the Israelites throughout the reign of Jehoahaz. | |
| 23 But Yahweh had pity and took compassion on them; he turned towards them because of his covenant with Abraham, Isaac and Jacob, and would not utterly destroy them, or cast them far from his face. | |
| 24 Hazael, the king of Aram, died; and his son Ben-hadad reigned in his place. | |
| 25 Then Joash, son of Jehoahaz, again took from Ben-hadad the cities which Hazael had taken from Jehoahaz. Joash defeated him thrice and recovered the cities of Israel. | |
